In the prior art numerous methods for fixing functional components in a housing are known, for example with positive interlock, friction force retention, material-integral bonding, or combinations of these. Some of these methods involve numerous process steps and, to that extent, entail long tolerance chains. The costs incurred to achieve a desired positioning accuracy and a desired positional fidelity relative to a housing, as required in particular for sensor arrangements, are therefore considerable.
For example, in the prior art it is known to fix functional components in their intended position in a housing by means of a welding process, in which a first joint partner is welded under pressure to a second joint partner, for example by a laser irradiation method, such that the melted material of one joint partner forms an interlocked connection with the functional component to be fixed. Such a method is described in the document DE 10 2005 000 160 B4. In this method it is significant that the melted material that creates the interlocked joint with the functional component to be fixed, of course makes contact with the functional component. This demands exact control of the setting path and leaves room for tolerance deviations.